Go West: Feels Like Home

Traveling, Camping and Hiking My Way Westward

#56 of my 2023 52 Hike Challenge

Trail/Park: Lake Alice & Coal Town Loop, Sugarite Canyon State Park, NM and Meade State Park, KS

Trash Collected: .37 pounds

---

The first snow of the coming winter greets me on the camper’s big window. From ranches at the base of mountains to grassland fading into prairies and farms the day would bring the bittersweet longing for more time. Lingering a bit to hike then covering two states back toward Minnesota, I feel the pull of two places with equal force. Eventually I give into one with the promise to return again.

Snow, Sunrise and Stellar

Waking early again, the first look through my camper windows brought a hearty laugh. Shirley had said with confidence there would be no snow overnight despite the last weather forecast I’d read before heading into the canyon where cell service was elusive. The window had a light dust of snow and as I eventually emerged from the camper to ready for a hike, it was apparent snow had fallen, but wouldn’t stay for long as the sun warmed the landscape.

I gathered my snacks and water into backpack, added a few layers for warmth. It wouldn’t be long before I was sure I’d be shedding at least a layer on my planned hike on the Lake Alice and Coal Town Loop trails. All in all, the 3.5-mile hike would take me about two hours if I slowed down, which I had full intentions of doing. I was in no hurry to move closer to home, wanting to savor this short time here in this place heavy with meaning to me.

The canyon-side hike was beautiful, sometimes hugging the road which cuts through the park to the Colorado boarder. Many sections are snug with the lower canyon wall. Lake Alice like a sheet of clear glass despite the goose quietly drifting across. The trail was littered here and there with the evidence of deer and bear. I again chuckled to myself having been assured the previous evening the park staff and volunteers hadn’t seen bear in quite a while. I kept my whistle accessible and hung a couple carabiners on my pack so they would rattle as I walked.

The Coal Camp Loop is well marked and the interpretive signs paint a picture of life in the area during the Gold Rush era. The remnants of building foundations still stand along with a few buildings which have been maintained for use by the park. On the return to camp, I sang out “I don’t want to see bears today” in an effort to calm my nerves after seeing the piles of poop along the trail. At one point a Stellar Jay did it’s “follow me” hop on the trail, faking an injury (hop down on the trail, go a bit further, repeat) to draw me from its nest. It worked as I watched its deep blue and green feathers catch the morning sunlight.

Back at camp, my hopes for cold press coffee were dashed when I discovered my stash in the cooler was frozen. along with my creamer. Instead, I had a quick cup of instant coffee while I readied the camper to leave. As I prepared to leave, I decided to backtrack a bit for some fun. The idea of having a photo of the camper at the Raton Amtrak station to send to my son was cemented in my day. Besides, I needed to fuel up for the drive ahead.

Unlike my last visit with the Scout troop, Raton is quiet in the early part of November. The train station looks exactly the same as it did on the day I arrived here. I wandered around for a little bit, took a few pictures and texted my son a few photos I’d taken. I noted how many more buildings were standing empty this time around. Businesses which had served as time fillers while we waited for our train to depart to home those years before, now stood empty. Maybe this was just temporary, and the summer season would again see them filled with people as the trains once again roll into the station. At least that’s my hope.

Monuments, Grasslands and Parks

The time had come for me to leave, starting my drive through the last sliver of New Mexico, across the panhandle of Oklahoma and on across Kansas. I was struck by the beauty of Highway 64 as I traveled toward Clayton. The contrast of mountains and the high desert I fell in love with, the contrast of the golden grass against the red and brown earth which reveals itself in the lead up to winter. An unexpected sight along the way was the Capulin Volcano National Monument. Because I hadn’t done a deeper look at this part of my route it was a surprise. Rising out of the surrounding prairie like an odd remnant of millennia past. I made the difficult not to take the extra time to stop with a long day of driving with little break the monotony of the prairie. A stop at Crossroads Coffee Mill in Clayton, NM for coffee and a breakfast burrito had me fueled for the hours ahead.

Continuing on, I added the town of Des Moines, NM to my list of sights, sections of the Kiowa and Rita Blanca National Grasslands as I crossed into Oklahoma, a corner of Texas to my right for a brief time. The miles rolled past as I made the cut across Oklahoma through Boise City toward Guymon where I would begin my eastern turn toward Liberal, KS. I considered stopping at Dorothy’s House at Land of Oz only briefly. While I loved the movie as a kid, it wasn’t enough draw for me to push my drive arrival at my next campsite into the dark.

My next stop would be Meade State Park, reminiscent of the eastern edge of the Badlands. Flat fields give way to rolling hills and the beds of dry creeks and rivers which have made their cuts through the earth. Meade Lake sits at the center of the park surrounded by multiple campgrounds. I paid my camping fee as I arrived and settled into the Cedar Campground on the west side of the lake. Few other campers were in the park giving me the solitude I wanted after a long day of driving. As the sun began to set, I explored the section of campground a bit before I made dinner. I would determine tomorrow if a hike would be in order based on the weather when I woke up. Having two days to drive across Kansas was a welcome change from my previous year trip where I made the drive in one day. Breaking the long, relatively flat distance into segments would allow me time to appreciate the nuance of the landscape which would otherwise blend into a long drain on the brain.

I pulled into Meade Lake State Park in the early evening, finding an open campsite with a view of the lake. The evening chilly, but thankfully without the wind I’d experienced on my drive in 2022 across Kansas.

---

This travel, hike and camping took place on the traditional territory of the Nʉmʉnʉʉ Sookobitʉ (Comanche), Pueblos, Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Ndé Kónitsąąíí Gokíyaa (Lipan Apache), Jicarilla Apache, Gáuigú (Kiowa), and 𐓏𐒰𐓓𐒰𐓓𐒷 𐒼𐓂𐓊𐒻 𐓆𐒻𐒿𐒷 𐓀𐒰^𐓓𐒰^(Osage), who have stewarded this land for time immemorial. I respect the histories, languages and cultures of these peoples, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant and changing communities. Join me in learning more about the tribes and these lands, by following the links provided.

---

Next Post Preview: A short hike starts the day which will take me to the eastern side of Kansas to Eisenhower State Park. Along the way I’ll take in some western history, the variety of farming which happens across Kansas and a reminder that Google Maps has it’s less than stellar moments in getting folks to their destination.

---

HOME AWAY FROM HOME: My adventure camper is a lovely little teardrop made-to-order by the incredibly talented people at Vistabule in St. Paul, MN.

---

GEAR: Granite Gear Crown2 38 Pack,Marmot Kompressor Pack,Oboz Katabatic Mid Waterproof, Oboz Katabic Low,Mountain Hardware Stretchdown™ Light Jacket, Mountain Hardware Stretchdown™ Pant,REI Co-op XeroDry GTX Jacket, REI Co-op Magma 850 Down Hoodie,REI Co-op XeroDry GTX Pants, Gnara Go There™ Pants, Chickfly Merino Eucalyptus Leggings, Icebreaker Women’s Merino 200 Oasis Long Sleeve Crewe Thermal Top, Icebreaker Merino 200 Oasis Thermal Leggings, SPOT GEN3 Satellite GPS Messenger, Dueter Dirtbag, Kula Cloth, Leki Women’s Micro Vario Cor-Tec TA trekking poles, Nemo Dragonfly™ Ultralight Backpacking Tent, Nemo Sonic™ 0 Down Sleeping Bag,Paria Thermodown 30 down quilt, Exped Ultra 7R Mat,REI Flash 3-Season Sleeping Pad, Thermarest Z Seat™,MSR Pocket Rocket Stove, TOAKS Titanium 450ML Cup with Lid, MSR® IsoPro™ Fuel.

Want to know more about my gear selections? Head on over to Gear & Gadgets or check out my posts titled “Gear in Review”.

---

---

Supporting the blog through a donation also helps keep the content coming. If you’ve found a post or information useful please consider making a contribution.

---

Copyright Ruth Wikoff-Jones, ruthsbluemarble.com | No Use Permitted Without Prior Permission